15 Things You Need to Know Before a Home Renovation

Carrying out a home renovation can be a stressful ordeal. No matter how many improvements you've done before, you'll always find something new in each home that'll surprise you. It could be a failing roof that doesn't meet with the specified building code or a pricey asbestos job. Either way, the first thing you learn about home renovation is to expect the unexpected.

To get you better acquainted with home renovations, this report highlights a list of things you should know before starting any home renovation project.

You can’t install tiles on a wall with a pocket door

Tiles are a beautiful addition to any wall. Just imagine how the walls of a bathroom would look if the walls were tiled. However, if the bathroom has a pocket door, that’s one dream that won’t be coming through. As the pocket door goes back and forth, it’ll make the tiles loose. An alternative you could try, which is just as beautiful, is to install panel moulding behind your tub.

Changes happen

Be prepared to carry out multiple renovations because what you find attractive today won’t be attractive tomorrow. Sometimes you may carry out several changes until you see one that suits you regarding layout.

Pay close attention to the stairs

You should always pay close attention to the stairs while renovating as it can significantly affect the layout of the rest of the house. Therefore, you may want to spend some time deciding if you're going to change the spot or leave it as.

Renovations aren’t always perfect

No many how many repairs you've been a part of, how many houses you look at, or how prepared you are, you won't be able to think of everything. After putting your best foot forward, and bringing forth your best ideas, you’ll finish your project and realise you wished you had done something different. So relax, appreciate your work, even if it doesn’t come out perfect, it’s still okay.

You’ll sometimes miss your deadline

No matter how professional you are, or how prepared you are, or how big your brand is, there are times when you won't be able to meet up with your deadlines. It could be due to things beyond your control like the weather, an out-of-stock product, or it could be due to your indecisiveness. If you ever miss your deadline, don't panic, take a deep breath, and move on.

Make notes of everything

Contractors, tradespeople, and suppliers are only humans, and being human, they sometimes make mistakes. Sometimes they may not be paying attention, or they may have heard wrong, either way, it's best if you note down everything. It'll help you keep track of what you've ordered. It'll also help you keep track of your warranties in case the wrong product shows up. If you don’t do this, you may end up running into problems that could have quickly been taken care of if you made a note of everything.

Expect to go over your budget

This is an unfortunate fact, but it's something that usually occurs. Some things will happen that you don't expect or plan for, and it'll end up costing you more than you hoped. Home renovations are expensive, and unless you want to cut corners (not advisable if you want a home that’ll last) then be prepared for when you go over the budget.

Stick to a quote and change order

The only way to avoid going over budget is to stick to a quote and change order, and of course, the easiest way to do that is to write everything down, including expenses and change so you'll be able to keep track of where all the extra money is going.

It’ll take longer than you predicted

When you start your renovation, you'll probably have a timeframe in mind, but as mentioned earlier, it is easy to miss deadlines. Because of that, what you expected to take at most eight weeks will end up taking longer. No matter how hard you push yourself, or your contractors, be prepared for the renovation to take much longer than you anticipated.

Hire one manager

Instead of spending a lot of money of designers, project managers, design assistants, etc. you may hire these people for the help they’ll offer, but you’ll only end up with too many fingers in the pot. A better option would be to hire one person that’ll be accountable for the whole project. It’ll save you a lot of time and money.

Give yourself time to get used to it

When you’re done with the renovations, it’ll take some time to fall in love with what you’ve done. You’ll question some of your design choices, reconsider the colour you chose for the wall, and doubt yourself. But if you take some time to adjust to the changes, you’ll find yourself falling in love with the renovations.

Don’t forget the ceiling plan

Everyone always gets so involved with the floor plan, because it is essential. However, it doesn't mean that you should neglect the ceiling plan. Some changes you make will affect the looks of the ceiling, so always keep the ceiling plan in mind when making plans for renovations.

Don’t worry about trying to match

Some people can drive themselves crazy trying to match décor and stick to a specific theme. But here's a secret, you can mix styles within your home. No rule says you must adhere to one particular theme. Mixing and matching styles gives your home more of a personality, not to mention it’s more fun.

Expect a lot of dirt

Your home is going to be dusty and dirty for a while after the renovations are done. It can be annoying, but slowly and surely, you’ll get your house squeaky clean again.

Don’t be so quick to install a rug

You should wait a couple of months after landscaping before you install a rug otherwise you'll end up ruining a perfectly lovely rug.